Childlike

July 25

"Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him. God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace." II Corinthians 5:18, 10


"YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING"

In 1 Samuel 3 there is an awesome story of Eli teaching young Samuel to hear God's voice. Eli is older and trying to get some sleep. Samuel hears someone call him, so he goes to Eli and asks what he needs. Eli tells Samuel that he has not called him, so Samuel leaves the room and goes back to his own bed. The same thing happens again.

Can you imagine Eli, trying to sleep, and repeatedly being woken for nothing? Eli recognized what was happening Do we as parents know what is happening when our children come to us? Do we tune our ears to hear what they’re bringing to us?

Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" Eli knew that God was trying to speak to Samuel and he stopped and encouraged Samuel to listen for the voice of God. We can do that with our kids. When they are looking for an answer to something, we can encourage prayer. When they share a story with us we can point to God in the story. At some point they will hear God's voice.

At that moment, we need to be in tune also. We need to encourage them and be excited about what they hear. Point out for them that it is God's voice in their ear and heart, that He does desire a conversation with them. -- Stacie Daniel



Parents may hear their children’s voices when they’re talking to them, but they are not always attending to what they are saying. Parents are busy people; many adult concerns are on their minds; many wearisome problems are weighing on their spirits. But children need and deserve the attention of the adults in their lives.

Jesus was never too busy for the children. He said, “Allow the children to come to Me,” Luke 18:16, and went on to say, “for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The innocence of children is not the only attribute Heaven seeks. Jesus also desires that we be teachable like them. So often adults think they have ‘been there and done that,’ there is nothing left for them to seek in the way of heavenly knowledge and wisdom.

But Jesus doesn’t view us that way. He is looking for people with teachable spirits who can attend to and appropriate the principles of Heaven while here on earth, so they can be like children who are easily instructed in the way they should go—so they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6)